Unrelated, but it's "through the wringer" not "ringer". A "wringer" being something that wrings your clothes out i.e. puts a great amount of stress and force on them.
AH, my mistake and thank you. I was wondering about that spelling but obviously I didn't take the time to double check.
Ringer[1]
1. a person or thing that encircles, rings, etc.
2. a quoit or horseshoe so thrown as to encircle the peg.
3. the throw itself.
4. Also ring·ers. Also called ring taw. Marbles . a game in which players place marbles in a cross marked in the center of a circle, the object being to knock as many marbles as possible outside the circle by using another marble shooter.
5. Australian . a highly skilled sheep shearer.
Sorry for being annoying and pedantic :-(